Expatriate Divorces – Care, Control and Custody of Child

As an expatriate, you are faraway from your home country. More often than not, you have limited friends and family in Singapore. As such, having your child by your side every day may be of utmost concern, because your child keeps you going.

Terminologies

Custody grants you legal authority to make decisions on the major issues in your child’s life (e.g. with regard to religion, education, health and so on). Custody may be held jointly or solely.

Care and Control allows you to have the child reside with you daily. It also gives you the authority to make decisions relating to the day-to-day activities of the child (e.g. with regard to meal times and bed times). Like custody, care and control may also be held jointly or solely.

Access refers to the time the parent who does not have care and control of the child is allowed to visit and bond with the child. Your Singapore expat divorce lawyer will be able to give you proper advice.

Considerations

In making decisions based on the above matters, Singapore Courts deem the welfare of the child to be of paramount concern.

The Courts will also have regard to (a) the wishes of your spouse and (b) the wishes of your child, where he or she is of an age to express an independent opinion. However, as mentioned, such wishes will be secondary to the welfare of the child.

Seeking Legal Advice

The fear of having your child taken away from you may be strong enough to even convince you to keep a marriage that has already fallen apart. That may not be wise. You should consider seeking legal advice to better understand whether the odds are likely in your favor before you decide if the pros may outweigh the cons in a divorce.

You may wish to seek legal advice from a Singapore Divorce Lawyer from one of the leading law firms in Singapore.